We received this note from one of our customers, we thought we'd share her great uses for jojoba throughout the seasons. We added additional notes and links in parenthesis.
There are some Maine products that serve us well through the sweltering days of August to the frigid days of January and every day in between. Jojoba is one of them! These are my personal experiences.
There are so many items around the household that can be cared for with a drop of jojoba. Most recently, I purchased a new pair of Gingher scissors. The use and care guide states "Occasionally placing a drop of oil in the pivot area will facilitate a smooth cutting action." Naturally, I use jojoba for this lubrication need. Not only is it technically a wax ester, which means it won't get gummy or attract dust, it also won't stain clothing (an important thing since these are sewing shears).
The most important reason to use jojoba, as opposed to other massage mediums is that it’s a 100% non-toxic product. In fact, it’s recommended for oncology massage because cancer patients are so sensitive (see Geralyn O’Brien’s article for the Integrative Cancer Review). In addition to being non-toxic, the second best reason to use jojoba is because clients LOVE it.
A month or so ago, one of our customers contacted us to see if she could use jojoba on a vintage spinning wheel. She was interested in its protective properties for wood. She sent us after photos of her spinning wheel and said:
"The wheel was quite dull before using jojoba oil. And for a 36 year old wheel, it came up beautifully.
It is amazing how a shiny revived spinning wheel makes spinning even more enjoyable." - Julie
Our ongoing series "Jojoba 101" is all about unique ways to use jojoba throughout the house/garden. Around our office and homes, we all use jojoba in a wide variety of ways. It's always nice to have an alternative to petroleum based products, especially one that is non-toxic like jojoba. One way we have been using jojoba is to protect our garden and garage tools. It protects not only the wooden portions, but the metal portions as well. The first step to using jojoba for this purpose is to clean your tools well, sanding the wooden portions and removing any rust with a metal brush is ideal.
We’ve had many clients tell us that they use jojoba on their pets (which we do as well). Animals can be very sensitive to toxins, especially cats, thus it's very important to be selective in the products we chose for them. Since jojoba is non-toxic and non-allergenic, it's a natural product to use on our pets. In fact we recently had a client call in to tell us that our product was indeed non-toxic because her dogs got into one of her bottles and ate the entire thing.
We've discussed using jojoba as a non-toxic alternative to removing make-up, but did you know that it can replace your face cleanser as well? When, Jacqueline, one of our customers wrote in about using jojoba as her oil cleansing medium we figured it was time to share the word on our blog.
In our ongoing series of collecting all the ways jojoba can be used, we were reminded of its value in removing sticky residue. As we put up the balsam fir tree (we are in Maine after all), our fingers were covered with bits of sticky pine sap. A few drops of jojoba and a few seconds of rubbing and voila - the sap was gone.
Do your weekend plans include painting? If so, we have a tip to help make cleanup a breeze. Before you get started, massage a few drops of jojoba onto exposed areas: hands, arms, legs, and hair. Pre-conditioning your skin with jojoba makes it easier to remove oil-based or latex paint or stains from your skin and from your hair.
After you’ve finished the job, clean up your brushes and your skin with jojoba. You won’t need harsh chemicals. Wrap your cleaned brushes in tin foil and store them for the next use. They will not be hard and brittle when you need them again.
Jojoba's properties make it fantastic as an after sun skin soother. Of course we can't make any medical claims, but we can share with you what our customers say. Last summer, one of our customers sent us this note:
Thank you! I just wanted to say that I am just getting into making my own cosmetics and had been searching high and low for the most responsibly produced jojoba. This is very good quality at a fair price...
I just want to let you know how much I love your Jojoba. I have been using it for about 10 years now, after seeing it at a massage convention. One year I decided to go cheaper and found my sheets smelling rancid and after throwing them out decided I'd never do that again.
I started out trying the jojoba on an older leather day planner that I have. It is in very good condition, so I didn't think I would see much of a difference. Boy, was I wrong! I didn't realize how dull it was until I used the jojoba on it.
Fabulous, fabulous stuff!
I've been a masseuse for eleven years and your jojoba extract is the best stuff I've ever used! It's economical, clean, and every one of my clients like it.
Your product is amazing and I couldn't be happier with it. It is high quality which is what I strive for in my own practice.
I just wanted to email to say that I'm so in love with Jojoba.
I love how it absorbs into the skin and leaves it silky smooth, what a fantastic carrier it is for essential oils, that it doesn't go rancid, so my sheets remain sweet-smelling and that the (jojoba) is so stable with an incredible shelf-life. What's not to love?
I don't know what I did before I started using your product.
It is by far the finest skin care product I have ever used.
After 35 radiation treatments I recommended your product to my friend for his burns. Like magic it is soothing and healing the area. Wonderful jojoba. Thank you.